On an occasion when an image forming apparatus, such as an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral), is employed for performing a kind of processing, various kinds of controlling operations are conducted so as to acquire a desired result.
For instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication (JP-A) No. 2000-103142 sets forth a print processing apparatus that receives a tray-designated print job in which a paper sheet tray to be employed is designated, and then, implements print processing for the job above-received. The print processing apparatus concerned includes a paper-tray change history information table in which paper-sheet change times in regard to paper sheets to be accommodated into a paper sheet tray are respectively correlated to paper sheet kinds. The print processing apparatus further includes a control section that compares the first kind of paper sheets, which were accommodated into the designated paper sheet tray at the time when the tray-designated print job was accepted, and the second kind of paper sheets, which are accommodated into the designated paper sheet tray concerned at the time when the tray-designated print job is commenced, with each other, based on the paper-tray change history information table above-mentioned, so as to implement the print processing concerned in a case that the first and the second kinds of paper sheets coincide with each other. Accordingly, by determining whether or not the kind of paper sheet has changed, based on the paper-tray change history information table, it is possible to prevent the print processing apparatus concerned from applying the print processing to the unintended paper sheets.
Further, JP-A No. 2011-055348 sets forth an image forming apparatus that reads a document to create image data. The image forming apparatus includes: a detecting section that detects a presence or absence of a document; a plurality of operating sections that accept user's operations; and a control section. The control section accepts input information representing a relationship between the user and the document detected by the detecting section from one or more of the operating sections, at the time when the detecting section detects the document concerned, and then, by parsing the contents of the input information above-accepted, specifies a specific operating section, currently operated by the owner of the document concerned, from the plurality of operating sections concerned. Accordingly, by accepting the user's operation inputted only from the specific operating section, it is possible to prevent the image forming apparatus concerned from accepting unintended operations.
Still further, JP-A No. 2009-177547 sets forth a system configuration that includes: a document reading section that reads a document; a scan data creating section that creates scan data from the document read by the document reading section; and a communication section that receives a scan implementation command, including first specific information, from an upper level apparatus, and transmits the scan data created by the scan data creating section; an inputting section to input second specific information from an operating section; a control section that controls the operation for implementing the scanning based on the scan implementation command. When determining that the first specific information is equivalent to the second specific, the control section implements the scanning operation. Accordingly, by implementing the processing only in a case that the first and the second specific information coincide with each other, it is possible to prevent the concerned system from accepting unintended operations.
In this connection, for instance, in a case where the image forming apparatus is employed for implementing a copy processing, sometimes, an instruction to start the copy processing may be issued after some time have elapsed since the document was placed onto a platen, desired paper sheets were set into a paper sheet tray, and processing conditions were established by operating an operating panel thereof. Further, in such a case where a plurality of image forming apparatuses are employed together for implementing processing, sometimes, an instruction to start the processing may be issued to all the plurality of image forming apparatuses at once, after documents were placed onto the plurality of image forming apparatuses, respectively, desired paper sheets were set into each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and processing conditions were established by operating an operating; panel provided in each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses.
Still further, in a case of such an image forming; apparatus that can be remotely operated by employing a communication terminal device, such as an exclusive operating terminal device, a smartphone, a tablet terminal device, etc., (hereinafter, referred to as a remote terminal device as a general term of them), sometimes, an instruction to start the copy processing may be issued by using a remote terminal device, after the document was placed onto a platen, desired paper sheets were set into a paper sheet tray, and processing conditions were established by operating an operating panel thereof.
As above-mentioned, in a case where an instruction to start the copy processing is issued after some time have elapsed since the various kinds of settings, including the document setting, the paper sheet setting, the establishment of the processing conditions, etc., have been completed without registering the settings as the reserved job, and have been left as it is, sometimes, the states of the document, the paper sheets, the establishment of the processing conditions, etc. may be changed by a certain factor caused by an action conducted by a third person during the time that the apparatus is waiting the instruction. In such the case as above-mentioned, unless the original user can recognize the fact that the states of the document, the paper sheets, the setting of the processing conditions, etc. have been changed from the original states, the processing would be commenced under the changed states and settings. As a result, there has arisen such a problem that the original user cannot implement the intended processing. The above-mentioned problem has arisen not only in the case that the image forming apparatus is employed for implementing a copy operation, but also possibly arisen in such a case that a scan transmission processing or a facsimile transmission processing is to be implemented. The present invention seeks to solve the problem.